This 1955 Ford Thunderbird is said to have been initially delivered to Newark, New Jersey, and it was acquired by the Harrah’s Auto Collection in New York in 1973 and eventually relocated to Harrah properties in Nevada, where it has been displayed most recently at the National Automobile Museum. The body has been refinished in red over a black and white interior, and power comes from a 292ci V8 paired with a three-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission. Equipment…
This 1955 Ford Thunderbird is said to have been initially delivered to Newark, New Jersey, and it was acquired by the Harrah’s Auto Collection in New York in 1973 and eventually relocated to Harrah properties in Nevada, where it has been displayed most recently at the National Automobile Museum. The body has been refinished in red over a black and white interior, and power comes from a 292ci V8 paired with a three-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission. Equipment includes a removable white hardtop, wheel covers, a later model Holley carburetor, an aftermarket chrome air cleaner, power steering, power brakes, power windows, a power-operated bench seat, and a push-button radio. In preparation for the sale the brake fluid was flushed and the engine oil changed.
The body was originally ordered in Thunderbird Blue (T) and was refinished in the current red under previous ownership. Features include a white removable hardtop, a hood scoop, and fender skirts as well as a chrome-finished grille, window surrounds, trim, and bumpers. Prior to the 1973 purchase, metal patches are said to have been welded into place on the driver- and passenger-side floors.
Color-matching 15″ steel wheels are mounted with Atlas whitewall tires that the seller states are more than 50 years old. Power-assisted brakes had the fluid flushed in preparation for the sale.
The interior is fitted with a power-operated bench seat trimmed in black and white upholstery with matching door panels and a black dashboard and carpeting. Other interior features include electric windows, chrome and simulated turned-aluminum trim, a clock, a heater, power steering, and a push-button AM radio.
A two-spoke steering wheel frames a 150-mph speedometer. The five-digit odometer indicates 11k miles.
The 292ci Y-block V8 was factory rated to make 198 horsepower and 286 lb-ft of torque when new, and power is directed to the rear wheels through a three-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission. Induction is handled by a later model Holley two-barrel carburetor with an aftermarket chrome air cleaner. The engine is said to have been rebuilt during the early 2000s, and the oil was changed in preparation for the sale.